City tours with style!

Dan Longman (right, above) is 25 and a recent graduate of John Moores University, but he has already had several successful local history books published and is also a regular contributor to The Merseysider magazine. He’s now put his expert historical knowledge to good use by founding See Liverpool Tours, a company offering guided walking tours to locals and tourists alike, led by a dedicated team of qualified blue badge guides. His aim is to immerse guests not only in Liverpool’s incredible past, but also in its vibrant past and exciting future.

The guides will certainly be hard to miss as each will have the distinctive attire ofluxurious purple frock coat, black trousers, waistcoat, tie and matching top hat. Dan says their outfits have already caused quite a stir on the company’s practice runs. ‘We keep getting stopped by people asking if we’ll pose for photographs. Now we know how the Beefeaters must feel in the Tower of London, or the guards at Buckingham Palace. But it’s all great fun and we hope it gives people a nice memory to take home with them.’

Their maiden route, The Grand Tour, takes in many of the city’s most important locations, including the Albert Dock, the Pier Head and the Town Hall. Great for out-of-town sightseers, but along the way there are also plenty of hidden gems to be discovered, ones that even life-long Scousers may not have heard of. Did you know thatthe Albert Dock was the first fire-proof warehouse in the world, or that a ducking stool once stood over a pool at the entrance to the Queensway tunnel to punish petty criminals?

Dan’s love of local heritage is shared by Head Tour Guide, Richard Macdonald (left, top picture). Also twenty five, he is the city’s youngest blue badge guide holder, the recognised ‘Gold Standard’ qualification of guidance. He has a genuine passion for the region and is looking forward to sharing his vast store of local knowledge and anecdotes. He says, ‘It’s the perfect role for me. We live in such a remarkable region, why shouldn’t we tellpeople about what we’ve got? Liverpool is fantastic; we’ve got every right to boast.’

Dan says See Liverpool Tours is collaborating with a range of local bars, restaurants, hotels and attractions across Merseyside as they prepare to showcase the very best of what Merseyside has to offer. Plenty of new and exciting destinations are planned for future tours.

Tours currently run twice a day on Saturdays and Sundays and tickets can be purchased from www.seeliverpooltours.com or via the Tourist Information Centre at the Albert Dock or St George’s Hall.